The youth have been urged to unite and take a leading role at the forthcoming African Climate Summit

Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya says effective climate action is an undertaking requiring the whole of society to get involved.

CS Tuya said , during the Summit set for September 4th to 6th in Nairobi, Africa will showcase her rich green growth potential including renewable energy resources, and pitch for increased investments.

“The Africa Climate Summit will take a resource display and a capital invite approach. This is the approach we want to take in our September summit, so that we can exploit Africa’s resources. The whole world will be invited to bring their capital to Africa to foster climate positive green growth,” CS Tuya said.

She was speaking on Friday at a meeting of youth leaders convened by the Dutch Ambassador to Kenya Maarten Bouwer at his Nairobi residence to discuss young people’s participation in the Africa Climate Summit. The representatives were drawn from various climate action youth organizations.

“We are not leaving anybody behind, not the least our young people. I am extremely excited today that we have our young people on the table way before the summit,” CS Tuya said, adding that the youth were “bearers of climate action dreams for current and future generations”.

“We must put our heads together because the nature of climate crisis is such that it has no boundaries, it affects all of us. If we continue with the status quo, we’re all going to suffer.

“As we bring the African voice together, we want our voice to resonate with that of the North so that we bridge the gap, and stop the finger pointing. We have to come up with a common position on how to tackle the climate crisis,” she added.

On the outcomes of the first of its kind conference, CS Tuya said co-hosts Kenya and the African Union anticipate a declaration that will among other aspects consolidate the continent’s green growth priorities including new climate financing mechanisms.

In his opening remarks, Amb Bouwer said Kenya was a global leader in climate action, and urged Kenyan youth to take a frontline role in climate action saying young people are “a powerful source of change”.

“Kenya has been an exemplary leader in climate action regionally and globally. Take for example in the power sector where 90 percent of all power is coming from renewable energy sources. There are not many countries that can say that,” Amb Bouwer said.

Also present at the meeting were German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth and his European Union counterpart Henriette Geiger as well as representatives of American and Swedish embassies.